The world of education is anything but stagnant; it’s constantly changing, growing, improving, and moving. As we learn new techniques and methods, we adapt our teaching. When we realize some methods are outdated, we keep an open mind and try new things. As we become aware of new societal and cultural trends, expectations, and experiences, we use that information to better our teaching. This ever changing flow keeps us on our toes and helps our students receive the best possible education. Not only do we as educators change and adapt the way we present information, we also change the ways in which our students receive, process, and demonstrate their learning. While doing some research, I came across a concept I had never heard of, and was quite intrigued by: the 7 Cs in Education.
The 7 Cs concept outlines seven ways that our students can demonstrate what they have learned, and ways they can process what we teach. Each skill requires students to use a different way of gathering and processing information, thus promoting diverse thinking. The 7 Cs are as follows:
1- Critical Thinking
2- Creativity
3- Collaboration
4- Communication
5- Computer Literacy
6- Cross-cultural Understanding
7- Career and Life Skills
Each of these skills can benefit students immensely. They are relevant skills for everyday life, every subject, and are skills that they will use as they grow into adulthood. Since each skill can be discussed in greater depth, I think it would be beneficial to dive into each skill individually over the next little bit. Join me as we explore these seven areas of teaching and learning!
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Two things are certain in life: death and taxes.” And while that’s true, I would add a third certainty: stress. Everyone will, at one point or another, experience stress in their lives. The level of severity might differ, but the existence of stressors is a given.
I wish I could say that stress only happens once you’re an adult, but that’s just not the case. Kids and teens are experiencing stress early on. As adults, we have had more time to figure out how to handle the various kinds of stresses that come into our lives. But for teens and kids, managing stress can be overwhelming when they don’t have knowledge of or access to proper stress management techniques. Teachers have a unique opportunity to be able to incorporate those kinds of skills and techniques into their curriculum, thus providing the rising generation with the tools they will need to manage the stress they encounter.
You may have a few techniques that you know work, but there are always more to learn and try. Below are some stress management techniques you might consider teaching your students.
Teach students to organize and prioritize their time. Show them how to use a planner or digital task tracker. When you feel more organized, tasks feel easier to take on.
Help students to learn and practice various breathing techniques for high stress moments.
Practice mindfulness as a class, then teach them to practice it individually.
Belly breathing– this helps to redirect their focus and calm their nervous systems.
Physical activity– movement does amazing things for the brain, and is a great way to release emotional energy.
Journaling- doing a brain dump is a great way for kids to get everything out that is stressing them so they feel like they can move forward.
Art- creating art is a great stress reliever! It’s a really good creative outlet that can help students refocus.
Encourage students to get a good night’s sleep. Solid sleep has amazing benefits in so many areas.
Teach students to use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: identify 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. You can practice this together as a class and have students write their answers down, then as they get comfortable with the process, they can do it on their own.
Teach your class how to do progressive muscle relaxation as a way to calm down in stressful situations.
Do regular brain breaks during class time as a way to break up the time, get students moving, and to give their minds a break from the rigors of learning.
Kids of all ages can benefit from these stress management techniques. Providing kids with proper tools can help them tremendously, and can help them turn to healthy ways to manage stress rather than unhealthy ways.
We are a mere 10 days away from the deadline for our Build A Better Future Scholarship applications! We are eager to read submissions, and have enjoyed reading those that have come in already. As we get closer to the submission deadline, I’ve been sharing some application tips and reminders so your final submission can be as perfect as possible. You can see the last few reminders here, here, and here.
Today’s tip is to make sure you proofread your application before you hit that ‘submit’ button. Read over your application several times. Have someone else look it over– sometimes a fresh pair of eyes will catch errors that you might miss.
Make sure you are checking your application for the following things:
Spelling errors
Capitalization errors
Missed punctuation or unnecessary punctuation
Flow- be sure your paragraphs flow well, make sense, and are cohesive
Correct grammar
Email addresses and phone numbers are entered correctly
All photo and video links or uploads are viewable by outside sources
Answer the questions and prompts thoroughly, but make sure you don’t go over the allotted word count
Sentence structure– fix any run on sentences or incomplete sentences
Take the time to make your application reflect your hard work. Don’t rush through it. Will a misplaced comma or period disqualify you? No. Will a couple of misspelled words eliminate you from the running? No. But– applications that are polished and proofread do stand out, and we do notice the extra effort you’ve put in to make your submission as perfect as it can be. You’ve done so much work on your project already, so don’t skimp on the application!
As a reminder, final submissions are due no later than Monday, April 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm, MST.
Young teacher with books and metal key on blue background
For some teenagers, reading is a struggle, and is often the last thing on their to-do list. Kids who once used to love reading have suddenly started seeing books as a burden. Perhaps this happens because of social pressure to see reading as a “nerdy” thing, or maybe they just have less time to read because of busier schedules. Another reason– perhaps the main reason– could be because they simply cannot find a book that interests them. Finding a book or a genre that pulls them in can get tricky. As teachers, we can help our students find engaging, fun to read books to hopefully spark an interest for reading.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about dystopian novels for teens. If you need suggestions for that genre, you can click here. Today, I’ll share some great historical fiction novels.
Historical fiction books are books that place fictional characters in real historical events, places, and times. This genre can be really engaging for students who are very into history. There are historical fiction novels written about nearly every big historical event, so there is something for everyone in this genre! Keep reading to learn about a few of them.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Set in Mississippi in the 1930s, Roll of Thunder follows Cassie Logan and her family, who are African-American, as they navigate segregation, racial injustices, and the Great Depression. This book does a wonderful job of painting a picture of what it would have been like for African-American families during the 1930s. Kids of any race can connect with Cassie, who is a spunky, determined little girl.
An excellent read for ages 10+
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Between Shades takes place in 1941 during WWII in Lithuania and Siberia. Lina is a 15 year old girl who is taken by Soviet officers, along with her family, to a Siberian work camp. Lina is devastated when they are taken to the camp and she is separated from her father. During her time there, Lina uses her art to secretly document her experiences at the camp. This story focuses on resilience, perseverance, and survival, and teaches powerful lessons about the strength of the human spirit.
Recommended for ages 12+
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Isabel is a young slave girl, along with her sister Ruth. When their owner dies, they are sold to a Loyalist couple who mistreats them. Isabel longs for freedom for herself and her sister. Hoping to secure that freedom, Isabel becomes a spy for Patriot forces, enduring horrific mistreatment. Bravery, resilience, and determination are highlighted throughout the novel as Isabel fights for her freedom. The story is powerful and moving, reminding readers that sometimes we must push ourselves beyond what is comfortable to remove the chains that bind us.
Recommended for ages 13+. Chains is the first book in the Seeds of American trilogy.
Mississippi Trial, 1955by Chris Crowe
This heart-wrenching story follows Hiram Hillburn, a 16 year old white boy who travels to Mississippi to visit his grandpa for the summer. While there, he meets a 14 year old black boy named Emmett Till, who also happens to be visiting family for the summer. Hiram and Emmett become friends as they realize they have a lot in common. Soon, Hiram discovers just how ugly racism is when Emmett is abducted and murdered. His body is found in the river a few days later. Hiram extends his stay so that he can be present for the trial and to offer any help he can in finding justice for Emmett. While this story can be hard to read because of the graphic content, it shares a powerful perspective on the events surrounding Emmett’s death. Hiram must make a decision between keeping the peace with his grandpa or standing up for what is right.
For students who are interested in this story, Getting Away With Murder by Chris Crowe is a non-fiction book that pairs really well with it.
Recommended for ages 14+
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Written in poems, Out of the Dust follows Billie Jo Kelby, a young girl living in Oklahoma in the 1930s. Billie Jo must face the realities of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. A fire kills her mother, and leaves Billie Jo’s hands badly scarred. She must navigate the harsh realities of life during this difficult historical time all while grieving the loss of her mother, dealing with her father’s emotional battles, and learning to play the piano again after the fire. The book is set up like a journal, with each entry being a free verse poem. Teenagers can connect with Billie Jo as she navigates the difficulties of being a teenager and facing hard things.
Recommended for ages 12+
This is just a small sampling of the amazing historical fiction books that are out there, but hopefully it can provide you with some suggestions to give to a student who is needing a little help finding a book they can get into.
It’s time for this week’s scholarship tip! Can you believe we are a little more than two weeks away from the application deadline?! Now is the time to make sure you’ve got all the little details worked out, including collecting the necessary contact information we ask for on the application. We not only need your contact information, but also that of a few other important people. Prior to sitting down to fill out your application, make sure you have gathered the following information:
Your name and email address
The name and phone number of your current high school
The name of your high school’s registrar or secretary AND their email address
The name of your mentor, as well as their title (teacher, counselor, etc.), phone number AND email address
Your mentor must be someone who is directly involved with your project. That will look different for every project, but is typically a teacher, counselor, club advisor, religious leader, community member, and so forth. It should be someone who has helped you directly with the progress of your project. Usually a mentor is someone who is there to bounce ideas off of, guide you, provide resources and knowledge, and so on.
Please make sure that all names are spelled correctly and that phone numbers and email addresses are accurate. We ask for your high school and registrar’s information so that we can verify you are indeed a graduating senior. We ask you to provide your mentor’s contact information so that we can check the validity of your project and learn more about you and the project from their perspective.
We are so excited to learn all about the amazing projects you have been working on and the incredible ways you have impacted your community!
You finish teaching a lesson and give instructions for the assignment. As usual, you ask if anyone has any questions, and you are met with radio silence. But because you’re a teacher, you know better than to believe that everyone in the class knows exactly what to do. You’ve learned that there are always questions– sometimes it’s because a student is too shy to ask in front of the whole class, and sometimes (or maybe most often), it’s because a student was not listening. They might have heard you talking, but they weren’t really truly paying attention. Repeating instructions 32 times gets exhausting!
Students often think that hearing is the same thing as listening, when in reality, they are two different things. We hear a lot of things throughout our day. We hear people talking, noisy halls, bells ringing, music playing, and so on. But until we actively hear, we generally don’t truly register what our ears are taking in. Actively hearing – or listening – requires our minds to focus on what is being said or heard so that our brain can make sense of it and understand it. We make a conscious choice to take in the noises and turn it into something more concrete.
In our classrooms, we can implement different strategies to help our students learn to listen rather than just hear.
After giving instructions, pick 2-3 students in the room, and call on each one individually and have them tell the class what the instructions were. Knowing they might be called on encourages them to listen more intently so that they can give an accurate answer.
Before students begin to work, ask them to turn to a neighbor and retell what the instructions were. They can help each other remember what is to be done. This also encourages students to effectively communicate with each other.
Write instructions on the board or display them through the projector– then if they weren’t listening, you don’t have to answer the same question several times, as they will have the instructions right in front of them.
As you give instructions, have them write down the instructions on their own paper. Writing things down helps to create a connection between what is written and remembered.
While it can be frustrating to have students not listen, it can be a great teaching opportunity, and there are strategies that can help students retrain their minds to be more active listeners. Not only is it a valuable skill to have within the classroom, students can learn that being an active listener is an excellent life skill to have in all areas of life– work, relationships, school, recreational time, and so on. Hearing is good, but listening is great.
As teachers, we try to make our classrooms an inviting place to be. We want our students to be excited about learning, and to be engaged in the content we are teaching. We want them to look forward to coming to school. But the reality is that not all of our students will be excited about school. Even still, we must give our best effort to make school as appealing as possible. We can do this through a myriad of ways. Rather than immediately jumping into the lesson for the day, teachers can take a few minutes at the start of class to warm students up and get them ready to learn.
One way to warm up students at the beginning of each class is through simple journal prompts. You don’t have to be a language arts teacher to incorporate journal writing into your curriculum– it can be used in any content area! Giving students a “question of the day” can help them get their minds ready to learn, focus, and participate. The question doesn’t even have to do with the content; it can be a silly, funny, or random question. Regardless of the kind of question it is, giving students a fun way to begin class can help ease them into learning and get them ready to focus.
You can even go beyond just having them write by having them share their answers with a neighbor, then have a few students share with the class. This can be a fun way for everyone to think about the question in different ways, which encourages critical thinking. It also gets students talking to each other, helping foster class communication and relationships.
Thinking of a question to ask every day can sometimes feel a bit daunting. In case you need some question ideas, I’ve compiled a list for you! You can download the list and print a copy to keep in your files, ready to be used any time you need a question suggestion.
**This download is for personal or classroom use only. Do not sell, repost, or claim as your own.**
